Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson offered a candid assessment following his team’s 114-105 Game 5 loss to the Indiana Pacers, ending their postseason run.
“The Pacers, you know, they were the better team,” Atkinson said postgame. “They deserved it. They played great, so congratulations to Rick and that group.”
While the Cavaliers entered the series as the Eastern Conference’s top seed after sweeping Miami, they struggled to match Indiana’s relentless tempo and fullcourt pressure throughout the series.
Atkinson acknowledged both physical and mental shortcomings in Cleveland’s performance, emphasizing that Indiana’s sustained intensity exposed his team’s developmental gaps.
“They presented a physical challenge—that’s probably first off the bat. But I think part of that is mental,” he explained. “That’s part of our growth.”
Despite the early exit, Atkinson expressed optimism about the Cavaliers’ long-term trajectory, highlighting internal progress.
“I do feel like we got better from a team aspect,” he said. “We had a lot of individuals make a step.”
Still, Atkinson made it clear the franchise fell short of its intended goals.
“We didn’t get to the level we wanted to get to, so we’re not pleased with that and we’re not celebrating the season.”
He pointed to offseason development as the next step, especially in improving the team’s physical readiness to handle postseason intensity.
“This league has become… the pace is… especially against this team… is incredibly high,” Atkinson said. “We got to work at it.”
He noted the Cavaliers’ offensive struggles as a turning point in the series, particularly against Indiana’s defensive schemes that limited Cleveland’s ball movement and shot quality.
“We really didn’t shoot it well all series. I felt like we didn’t get enough catch-and-shoot ones tonight.”
Atkinson refrained from blaming injuries but acknowledged that key absences, including Darius Garland’s limitations, impacted their ability to compete at full strength.
“I don’t want to say that’s the reason, because it’s not the reason. They were the better team.”
He also dismissed suggestions that the Cavaliers eased off during the regular season’s final stretch.
“We didn’t take our foot off the gas. I think we had a hellacious schedule and didn’t play well.”
Looking ahead, Atkinson sees the loss as a motivator and a lesson in playoff preparation.
“There’s nothing that motivates a player more,” he said. “You live with the pain every day until you get back here in May or June.”
